“We were never really going to be a band that anyone knew about really,” says Tim Baker, of Newfoundland band Hey Rosetta!, who is taking part in a Polaris Lounge on Aug. 9 at the Drake Hotel in Toronto. “Like most bands in Newfoundland, we had music and wanted to get something out.”
From humble beginnings and on the strength of a flair for dramatic songwriting and soaring musicality, Hey Rosetta! has garnered significant acclaim both in Canada and internationally. The band’s latest album, Seeds, has landed on the Polaris Prize shortlist along with bands such as Arcade Fire and Ron Sexsmith. During the Polaris Lounge, Baker will be interviewed live onstage while the album is played in its entirety.
The awarding of the Polaris, modelled after the Mercury Prize in Britain, is quickly becoming a major event in Canadian music. It, along with the $30,000 cheque, is awarded to the best album to be released in a given year — no genre or label restrictions. The beauty being that, like this year, Neil Young’s new album, Le Noise, could be found on the nomination list alongside more obscure artists such as Dirty Beaches.
“That’s great. It’s a beautiful thing, the Polaris, you know,” says Baker, whose previous album, Into Your Lungs, was also shortlisted. “It’s a great institution in Canada and for Canadian music, and internationally people take note of it quite a bit.”
Following a few festival dates this summer, the band embarks on a month-long tour of Australia this fall and a major cross-Canada tour in November, including a stop in Toronto on Nov. 24. For more information, go to www.heyrosetta.com.
Like father, like daughter
Musician Ariana Gillis likes to have a good time playing music whether it is donning a mask and snorkel to play her popular tune “Blueberry Ocean” or having a good laugh with the crowd while stomping out another joyful song. Given her current trajectory, it won’t be long before she brings her unique and utterly charming blend of folk-rock to larger stages and crowds. Gillis plays Hugh’s Room in Toronto for a private show this month, followed by a concert in September (www.hughsroom.com).
“I love playing, and I look forward to it every night,” says Gillis, 20, on the phone from her home in pastoral Vineland, smack dab in the middle of Niagara wine country. “The night before a show, all I can think about is getting onstage and playing. It is just such a release for me.” Gillis has been playing music almost as long as she’s been reciting her ABCs, taking her first singing lesson when she was six years old, followed by years at the Royal Conservatory, playing piano and finally picking up a guitar when she was 12. Having musician David Gillis as a father might have something to do with it.
“There was music all around me when I was growing up, so it was natural for me to fall into it,” Gillis explains. “There were guitars everywhere around the house, so we’d just pick them up and play whenever.”
Gillis released her debut album, To Make It Make Sense, in 2009.
